Kitten
by mabelreid
Summary: One shot Why did Rossi call Garcia kitten during "A Thousand Words"


**_Disclaimer: see my profile_**

**_A/n this came about as a result of watching "A Thousand Words," and me speculating why Rossi called Garcia kitten. Please enjoy! _**

**_Kitten_**

In retrospect, he decided that it was JJ's fault. Yes, he believed wholeheartedly in individual personal responsibility, but it was she that brought him the case so all that followed after, logically, was partly due to her decision. That was his story and he would stick to it come hell, high water, or an ugly sexual harassment suite.

What happened was simply this? He found a lead to follow in the case, which needed _her_ particular talents. He had hunched over his desk for most of the afternoon without a real break, so he'd decided to go see her without looking at the clock on his desk.

His pounding headache precluded him from noticing the bullpen and the fact that it was empty. Instead, he focused on getting to her office, giving her his request and leaving for the evening. A large tumbler of twelve-year-old scotch would be just what the doctor ordered.

He reached her door and knocked once. He didn't wait for her to give him permission to enter he just opened the door and ducked inside. "Hey Garcia… I have a list of names I need you to -"

That was as far as he got… Two things happened at the very same time - he froze in place at the sight in front of him, and she shrieked. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He couldn't speak, in fact his ability to form coherent thought left him speechless. He thought it was possible that he might just have an aneurysm right there on the spot. He couldn't have moved had the world ended.

Penelope Garcia stood in front of him wearing a red lace bustier, matching lace briefs, a garter belt and silk stockings. She held more red material in her hands that looked like a dress, but he couldn't be sure because he couldn't take his eyes off the object on the outside of her upper thigh.

The tattoo didn't really come as a huge surprise. He'd always suspected that she had art, but he wouldn't have believed the form it would take. The black kitten slept with its paws tucked under its white bib. The serenity on its face belied the colorful personality of its Mistress.

He couldn't force his eyes away from the milky creaminess of her thigh and the sleeping kitten until her hands reached out and shoved him back through her door. He nearly fell into the opposite wall as the door slammed shut.

The bang of wood against wood and metal finally shocked him out of his trance, "Holy Mother of God!" He groaned.

He looked around as if he didn't know where he was at that moment. His heart raced painfully in his chest, but worse than that was the fire of desire in his gut. He immediately took his notebook back to his office hurrying along on unsteady feet. Leaving Quantico had never been more urgent. In fact, he should probably just leave his letter of resignation on Hotch's desk as he left, before Garcia called her lawyer.

Fortunately, the elevator cooperated and opened as soon as his shaking finger pressed the call button. She still hadn't emerged from her office so he heaved a sigh of relief as the doors closed in front of him. Perhaps the fact that it was Friday would work in his favor. She might forget about his utter lack of respect by Monday and he wouldn't have to grovel.

**_cmcmcmcm_**

When Monday morning rolled around without interruption from a case, Rossi was more nervous than he'd ever been in his whole life. Those two days had been the longest of his life. He'd tried drinking, working on his latest book, and listening to opera played at crystal shattering levels. Nothing he did could get the image of her roses and cream skin out of his mind. Even now with another screaming headache, alcohol induced, bouncing around in his skull, he couldn't think of anything but the red lace she'd worn. Her scarlet lips, and ruby eyeglass frames with her copper hair enhanced the look rather than making her look like she'd gone overboard. He could only imagine what the dress she'd been changing into had looked like on her lush figure. She'd reminded him of a painting he'd seen once of Eve after the fall in the Garden of Eden. The red hair had been a warning against sin. His mother used to say that scarlet was the color of loose women and sin. He had believed it until he'd grown up and realized that sin was a choice not dictated by a color.

He thought about all of this on his way into the bullpen and the sludge they called coffee in the break room. His only sin would be lack of control the next time he saw her. He was her superior… He could not allow his thoughts to dictate his emotional control. If he'd paid her the courtesy of waiting for her to invite him into his office that evening, none of this would be a question. It was his penance and he would pay because he wasn't twenty-five anymore. He couldn't be the randy Lothario.

He was reaching for the coffee pot when she walked into the break room. He managed not to drop it on his foot at the look of surprise and embarrassment on her face.

"Garcia… Please let me apologize for Friday night. I should have waited for you to say come in. It was rude and I'm very sorry." He burst out before she could open her mouth or take another step into the room. "Please accept my apology and know that it will _never_ happen again."

"Good…" She said quietly.

She stood there staring at the coffee cup in his hand instead of his eyes, so he poured out his coffee and left the room. The lack of a snappy comeback concerned him more than her behavior toward him.

"She's angry and she should be," He said under his breath. "Let it go…"

The day stretched out like an overnight stakeout. They didn't get a case out of the office to distract him. The worst part of the day came when he had to stop procrastinating and ask her for the rundown on his names that he'd needed on Friday.

It all felt like a repeat when he knocked on her door. He waited for a long minute, and then she said. "Come in."

He edged open the door, very happy to see her in her chair typing away furiously on her keyboard. She stiffened when he called out her name.

"Yes sir…" She rallied turning to look at him with eyes that wouldn't give an inch.

He sighed. "I need a run on these names if you have a few minutes."

"Of course sir," she took the piece of paper from his hand and turned back to her computer screen.

"Penelope…" He said softly. "May I speak with you?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea. I'm really mad at you right now, but you're my boss so -"

"You have every right to be furious with me. I should've waited to come in that night. I hope you can forgive me one day. I value your brightness and all of your color. I consider you a friend."

Tears began coursing down her cheeks. He cursed himself for making her cry. "I'm not mad at you." She sniffed. "Well… Not anymore that is," she said wiping away the tears with her fingers.

"I'm glad even if I did deserve it."

"No," she said, her voice rising. "You don't understand. I'm angry with myself because I…" She looked down at her hands, which twisted, in her lap. "I broke things off with Kevin over the weekend."

The abrupt change of subject surprised him on one level because she clearly didn't want to talk about her now, ex-boyfriend. He leaned against the desk and waited for her to continue.

"It just wasn't working and after the masquerade ball Friday night he hates me anyway."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She went crimson in the cheeks, which reminded him of Friday. At least that memory didn't bring with it the inevitable reaction in his body. Maybe he was learning control in his old age.

"I really can't say." She said, looking at her hands again.

"You can confide in me. After all, I can't very well tell anyone what precipitated any of this." He grinned.

She smiled back at him. "Okay…" She heaved in a breath. "I guess it's only fair after what you did."

He winced, but he didn't deny it. "I'm mad at myself, not you. I've been hoping on some level that you'd catch me like that. I honestly thought," She hurried on as his mouth opened in shock. "I thought I was alone. It was after six and I thought everyone had gone home so I decided to change in here instead of one of the bathroom stalls. There's more room in here. Then you burst in and one of my most cherished fantasies came true. I couldn't believe it and then I thought - what the hell are you thinking he's your boss- and I shoved you out of here instead of kissing you like I wanted to."

He thought he'd gone deaf for a minute. She was admitting to him that she found him as attractive as he found her. Well, the logical and smart thing to do would be to leave the room and forget all of this mess. Instead, he crouched down in front of her and kissed her.

Her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him in close as his tongue lapped the inside of her mouth. His jeans began to tighten painfully as she curled her hands into his hair.

"Wait…" He finally pulled away as the reality of what he was doing succeeded in overriding his desire. "God… I'm so sorry," he stood up and backed away from her as if she was a bomb about to go off.

Her chest heaved in the low cut ice blue lacy blouse she wore with a chunky violet necklace. He made his eyes go to her computer screen instead. "I should go before I do something that'll get one or both of us fired."

"Wait David," She said his name like it was chocolate on her tongue and he groaned.

"I have to go," he insisted, "Unless you want me to take you right here."

She smiled. "That's another one of my fantasies, but you're right, we better stop."

She licked her lips very slowly making him growl in the back of his throat, "You are a tease kitten," He said without thinking.

"Kitten," She said raising her eyebrows.

"Your tattoo," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah… You liked that did you?"

"You know I did," He said.

"Then I love my new nickname." She smirked.

"So what do we do now?" He asked her.

"You're the one with the reputation around here. All the frat rules are thanks to you. You tell me." She crossed her arms over her chest, covering them from his view, which irritated him just a little.

"I'm not looking just for sex." Rossi said.

"Too bad, that's exactly what I'm looking for." Garcia teased.

"Do _not_ tempt me woman…" He dropped back down on his hunches and put his arm around her waist. "I care for you very much."

"Well that's a very good thing because I care for you too." She said. "Why don't we just play it by ear?" She asked, pushing her fingers through his hair.

"So you don't mind if I call you kitten in honor of our first kiss?" He stroked her arm.

"I think that's a very good idea."

"By the way," he asked as he got to his feet again. "What were you dressing up for that night?"

She blushed prettily again, "It was a charity ball for the DC Children's alliance. I go every year. This year I went as turn of the last century madam."

He couldn't help it. He roared with laughter at her admission.

She hit his arm. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's just something that my mother used to warn me against." He said.

Penelope smiled wickedly. "What did she warn you against?"

He stroked her hair. "You don't have to worry about my overprotective Italian mother. I know exactly what _you_ are kitten. You _are_ the light and color of my life."

"Thank you," She blushed again.

"I'm going to make you dinner tonight." He said.

"Oh… So you think I'll drop everything and come by your place." She challenged him.

"Yes…" He said confidently.

"You're right," She said. "I'll be there at eight."


End file.
